Swimming pools, and other aquatic recreation facilities, generally require a piping system to bring water to and take water from the main water body. In a pool, for example, a series of pipes connect to the pool to support equipment such as pumps, filters, and heaters. In both indoor and outdoor applications, this piping system is typically placed below ground for functional and aesthetic reasons. These pipes are traditionally embedded in soil or other backfill material and then covered with a hard durable decking such as concrete.
Unfortunately, the piping systems described above can fail. Some pipe failures result in small leaks that are not easily detected until the leaked water causes problems to the pool or surrounding structures, such as the foundation of a home. Even when leaks are apparent, it is typically difficult to determine where the leak is because the leaked water dissipates downward into the ground and does not present visual signs on the surface of the pool or surrounding area. Certain companies advertise the ability to survey the piping system and determine the general location of a leak, but they typically do so with damage to the decking material surrounding the pool and without a guarantee that the leak will be accurately detected. In any event, even if the leak is accurately detected, repair typically entails demolition of the decking material (e.g., concrete, tile, etc.) around the pool, excavation of the piping system, repair of the system, backfill, compaction, and repaving of the decking material. In most applications, to avoid unsightly patch work of repaired decking, the entirety of the decking material around the pool is replaced.
As such, the piping systems described above suffer from several drawbacks. For example, leaks are not easily detected, and even if a leak is apparent, finding its location is costly and often damages the decking material. Additionally, the piping systems described above are not easily replaced or fixed given that they are buried beneath fill material and decking material.